Sunday, June 23, 2013

June 2013 Ipsy Bag

I have found that the biggest downside to a lot of the current sample subscription boxes is the selection of products. Some months I receive only skincare and haircare products which is very disappointing; I signed up for the services for their makeup products, and due to my sensitive skin and straight, fine hair, I don’t like trying new products for skin and hair.

This is exactly why I decided to subscribe to Ipsy! The bags feature beauty products from popular brands. This month’s bag is my first so I wanted to give you my thoughts and first impressions.

First, let’s talk about the bag…

As a former subscriber of Glymm, I have accumulated many of these mini makeup bags over the past few years. Therefore, I will only keep new ones if I love the pattern. Sadly, I really dislike the design of this month’s Ipsy bag. I am not a fan of animal print, especially when paired with neon. However, I know that a lot of people love this combo so I will send the prizes from one of my giveaways in this bag.

Now onto the makeup items…

1. Cailyn Cosmetics Line-Fix Gel Eyeliner: I received this product in the shade Iron which is a steel grey colour. The product comes with a built-in brush which I imagine will be too thick for those who like a thin, precise line. I will not be taking this product out of the box since I don’t use liner very often and will likely save this one for a giveaway. I was sent a full size jar of this product which retails for $21.

2. Starlooks lip pencil: I received this product in the shade Tipsy which is a matte coral colour. I don’t really wear lipstick so I have never had much use for a lip liner. That said, I’m really loving the colour so I may try to use it lightly to stain my lips and then top it with a clear gloss or balm. The one downside to this product is that the colour is cased in a wooden pencil which requires manual sharpening. This item is full size as well and retails for $12.

3. NYX Mosaic Powder in Dare: If you have seen my previous Glymm or Luxe Box posts, you will know that I don’t really enjoy receiving NYX products in these subscription bags/boxes. I subscribe because I want to try new or higher end items and NYX products can easily be found at the drugstore. This powder looks quite pretty in the pan but it contains a few orange and reddish brown shades that won’t complement my cool toned skin. This product retails for $10.99.

4. J. Cat Beauty Sparkling Cream Palette: I received this palette in Voltage which contains sparkly creams in neutral shades. As someone who normally wears natural makeup, I know that I will never use this palette. I also feel that it is not age appropriate as I would have used something like this when I was a child playing with glitter. It seems very appropriate for theatrical makeup and dance recital makeup but I could not pull this off at work. The palette retails for $4.49.

5. J. Cat Eyelashes + Eyelash Glue (C32): While these lashes look very pretty and wispy, I’m really not a false lash gal. I would much rather sweep on a couple coats of mascara than glue something to my sensitive eyelids. Like the cream palette, these lashes seem appropriate for stage makeup and special events. This set retails for $3.99.

Overall, I liked that the June Ipsy bag sent five full size makeup products retailing at over $50 combined . However, I cannot really see myself using any of them, and I’m left wondering if Ipsy actually took my beauty profile/survey into consideration when selecting my items. I have not decided if I will subscribe to Ipsy for much longer. I will wait a couple more months to see how I feel. I think that the price is right at $10 but I don’t like paying $4.95 for shipping. This additional fee makes the bag more expensive than Topbox which sends items that are more appropriate for my age and preferences.